Zelensky Faces Renewed Pressure as Trump Shifts Stance on Ukraine Conflict
WASHINGTON D.C. – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is bracing for another high-stakes meeting with former U.S. President Donald Trump as tensions escalate over a proposed peace plan and a perceived shift in Washington’s approach to the ongoing conflict with Russia. the developments follow a series of events throughout 2025 that have left Kyiv feeling “betrayed” and fearing a weakening of international support.
The situation began to fray in February when Zelensky canceled a planned trip to Riyadh after learning of a previously undisclosed meeting between Russian Foreign Minister sergei Lavrov and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio. This meeting marked the first instance of Washington reopening channels for direct engagement with Moscow since the start of the war.
Further straining relations, in August, Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit in Alaska, complete with full state honors – a move criticized for treating a leader wanted by the international Criminal Court as a legitimate world figure.
Throughout the autumn, Trump reportedly adopted a “carrot and stick” approach, with pressure mounting on Zelensky to concede territory to Russia. During an October meeting at the White House, Trump, alongside advisors Witkoff and Dmitriev, allegedly urged Zelensky to accept Putin’s conditions to prevent further destruction of Ukraine. This followed a phone conversation between Trump and Putin, with discussions centering on a potential new summit in Hungary.
However,a turning point appeared to occur in late October. For the first time, Trump publicly challenged Putin, suspending plans for the Budapest summit and approving the first sanctions against the Russian economy of his mandate. Simultaneously, Dmitriev and Witkoff began negotiating a 28-point peace plan that has sparked controversy across Europe.
European diplomatic efforts are now focused on persuading Washington to prioritize a ceasefire as a precondition for any peace negotiations. Zelensky is preparing to navigate these complex dynamics in an upcoming face-to-face meeting with trump, seeking to safeguard Ukraine’s interests amid a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape.
